Chelsea reach agreement to sign Joao Pedro for £50m with Brighton striker set to immediately join Enzo Maresca's Club World Cup squad

According to The Athletic, Chelsea have fended off competition from Newcastle and reached an agreement with Brighton over a deal worth in excess of £50m for Pedro. The 23-year-old is now set to sign a typically long contract with the Blues which will run until 2032.

Once the final stages of the transfer including medical checks are completed, Pedro will join his new team-mates in the United States to contribute to their Club World Cup campaign. Enzo Maresca's side have reached the quarter-finals, with their clash against Palmeiras coming in the early hours of Saturday morning.

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Newcastle were also keen on Pedro and had lined the former Watford star up alongside Burnley's James Trafford and Nottingham Forest's Anthony Elanga, but all their offers have been rejected. With Pedro signing elsewhere, the Magpies will have to draw up new targets ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Pedro will hope the deal is wrapped up quickly so he can potentially makes his debut against Palmeiras on Saturday. He will bring another option to Maresca's frontline which already includes Nicolas Jackson and Liam Delap.